Outstanding Ethiopian Accomplishments of the Year (OEAY) and In Memoriam: Finfinne Times's Fourth Experiment of Recognition

September 12, 2012

In its first, second, and third experiments of recognizing Outstanding Ethiopian Accomlishments of the Year (OEAY) and an Ethiopian's Outstanding Lifetime Contributions, Finfinne Times announced its recognitions for 2001, 2002, and 2003 Ethiopian Calendar (2008/2009, 2009/2010, and 2010/2011) in various areas of achievements. The background to this exercise was well laid out in a narrative that preceded the announcement of Finfinne Times's very first recognitions .

As for the 2001, 2002, and 2002 E.C. exercises, both the recognitions and remembrances for this year are made based on the data that was available to Finfinne Times at the time of publication. Therefore, by no means would Finfinne Times claim to have exhaustive data and by extension the recognition and remembrance in all categories to be exhaustive. This is exactly the reason why all are considered this year as well as another experiment for a future more involved exercise.

Finfinne Times hereby invites our esteemed readers to submit for consideration their choices of outstanding accomplishments and contributions each year any time before September 12.

Ethiopian Outstanding Accomplishments of the Year (EOAY)

Academy

We wish to see more breakthroughs in 2004 E.C.

Arts

We wish to see more breakthroughs in 2004 E.C.

Business

Ethiopian Airlines' continued growth and profitability.

SoleRebels' successes, including its efforts to enter the global market.

Economics

Continued projections by various organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that indicate that Ethiopia is projected to have one of the fastest growing economies in the world in 2012/13.

Entertainment

We wish to see more activities in 2004 E.C.

Environment

We wish to see more activities in 2004 E.C.

Ethiopian Renaissance

The continued effort to study Oromo faith traditions and culture and stunning progresses in the celebrations of Irrecha

Journalism

The emergence of new journalism that aired serious questions and debates in Oromo and Ethiopian politics. In just a short span of time, Seifenebelbal Radio, Radio Marii, Radio Simbirtu, and Dagalee Radio emerged and entertained serious debates. Even though they leave a lot of room for improvement, some of them may grow to be serious and professional media with integrity that the people lacked in the past.

Literature

We wish to see more activities in 2004 E.C.

Music

We wish to see more breakthroughs in 2004 E.C.

Politics

We wish to see more activities in 2004 E.C.

Public Service

We wish to see more outstanding public services in 2004 E.C.

Science and Technology

Involvement in the development of first aquatic hydrogen powered robot, an autonomous undersea vehicle inspired by the common jellyfish (Dr. Yonas Tadesse).

Sports

Ethiopian Athletics Federation's continued achievements in international competitions, including at the London Olympics

In Memoriam

Politics

Meles Zenawi, late Prime Minister of Ethiopia (1955 - 2012)

Mr. Meles Zenawi, whose death was announced on August 20, 2012, and body laid to rest on September 2, 2012, left behind a legacy of contradictions and unanswered paradoxes, which may be left to history books.

However, he has left behind some anecdotes to remember for now.

He dropped out of college to fight to liberate from Ethiopia the people of Tigray, a less than two digit percent group of Ethiopians. The Tigre people are no less Ethiopians than any other group of Ethiopians, by any measure.

On the eve of the end of the Cold War, his political organization merged with and formed other organizations to take power in Ethiopia. He became the leader of Ethiopia in 1991 and until his untimely death at the age of 57.

Shortly after he became Ethiopia's leader, he wrote a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations in support of the breaking away of Eritrea from Ethiopia and later on oversaw a costly war with Eritrea in which tens of thousands of soldiers perished on both sides.

Under his government, Ethiopia saw premeditated assassinations of prominent Ethiopians to suppress the masses, as recent revelations testify. Many were abducted from the cities not to be heard of for a long time now. Their loved ones couldn't get closures to these cases. These acts are strange to Ethiopians and the Ethiopian culture.

On the positive sides, he made an important argument before African leaders and succeeded to have the African Union headquarters to remain in Ethiopia where the Organization of African Unity was formed and its office functioned.

Shortly after he became the leader of Ethiopia, he was heard of in the media speaking for Africa at a high level international meeting in Europe.

He also once said on Ethiopian government media that his government looked at Ethiopian intellectuals as its iris. However, shortly after he became Ethiopia's leader, his government dismissed a few dozen experienced faculty members from the Addis Ababa University, the oldest and pioneering university in Ethiopia.

He picked the idea of Ethiopian Renaissance and advanced it after the historic legislative elections in 2005, even as his understanding of the idea of Renaissance was criticized by those who know about it better.

In the face of consequences of actions and inactions, his government took a decisive step to fight a Somali militia after it openly declared war against Ethiopia.

All these ancedotes are of historical significance for which he will be remembered. We hope history will be fair to his victims and him.